Walt Disney World is about to do something controversial. No matter who wins the presidential election, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, Hall of Presidents will close for refurbishment in 2025. This post discusses how it could change: whether the Magic Kingdom attraction could alter its format, become hosted by the Muppets, or even feature a Walt Disney Audio Animatronics. (Updated November 6, 2024.)
Whenever the Magic Kingdom attraction reopens, a not-insignificant percentage of fans will be angry about the changes. Of this much, we are certain. No matter who wins the election, a large portion of the population will be upset. And no matter what happens with the Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom–new or updated Audio Animatronics into the existing show, a reimagined production, something totally different–a large portion of Walt Disney World fans will be upset.
The reasons for this are fairly self-evident. If any statement is uncontroversial, it’s that we live in politically-charged and polarized times. You can’t get over half of Americans to agree on anything, except that Grimace rules and that we cannot agree on anything. As far as past precedent goes, we’ve been down this path before with Hall of Presidents for every election since at least the late 1990s.
If you’re simply looking for the most likely outcome, it’s simply what happened last time. Walt Disney World will probably quietly close Hall of Presidents on inauguration day: January 20, 2025.
Approximately four years ago, the Liberty Square attraction was open on the eve of inauguration, closed with no notice the following day, and remained down without an official reopening date on the official Walt Disney World calendar for the next several months. A statement on the Walt Disney World website simply indicated: “The Hall of Presidents is currently closed for refurbishment.”
Disney would later (also quietly) confirm that President Biden would be added to the Hall of Presidents and that the attraction would reopen later in the year. That summer, Walt Disney World shared a behind-the-scenes look at Hall of Presidents and the new Joe Biden Audio Animatronics figure that would be installed. The attraction would go on to reopen without fanfare on August 3, 2021.
This is the exact playbook we expect to follow with Hall of Presidents in 2025, regardless of who wins. Closure in January, tease of the AA in summer, unpublicized reopening in the off-season. If there’s a Polymarket for Walt Disney World, this is the safest bet.
November 6, 2024 Update: Donald Trump has won the presidential election, and will retake the White House and, with that, center stage in the Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom. He does so as both the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to be elected for two non-consecutive terms. More significantly for the purposes of this post, he’s the first to do so since the Hall of Presidents opened at Walt Disney World. Given that, it’s unclear whether Imagineering will reuse his prior recording and Audio Animatronics figure, or make additional updates.
The safest bet is the path of least resistance. Our expectation is that Imagineering reuses both the existing Trump figure and dialogue, and essentially ‘restores’ the show to its pre-2020 status (but with the addition of Joe Biden, obviously). If this is the outcome, you can expect the closure to be significantly shorter than last time. Walt Disney World could theoretically do a quick refurbishment, having the attraction closed for a month or perhaps less.
The only real question is whether he’ll be introduced once or twice–precedent (Grover Cleveland) suggests only once, but he’s a historical figure from the 1800s, so the approach could be different. Regardless, our expectation remains that the attraction will quietly close on inauguration day. In all likelihood, it’ll also be a fairly uneventful reopening, as there won’t be anything new, per se, to publicize when Trump resumes his speaking role.
It’s hard to fault Disney for the quicker and quieter approach. When President Trump was first elected, Disney issued a press release, which was followed by an extended closure and rumors of in-fighting between Glendale and Team Disney Orlando. Those stories weren’t confined to Disney fan sites, but rather, spilled out into the mainstream news and prolific pop culture sites.
A quiet refurbishment could avoid the headaches of high-profile controversies over what’s ultimately a low-profile Magic Kingdom attraction. It’s a smart move, even if Disney fans might like to know what’s happening and when Hall of Presidents will reopen. Walt Disney World doesn’t need to tease Hall of Presidents’ return with weekly updates on TikTok, as that would be excessive.
Even though the attraction has become a powder keg of controversy, that’s merely a reflection of society and the times. It’s not Disney’s fault, and the company should not be ashamed of a historic, viewpoint-neutral attraction that is patriotic to its core and make its founder proud.
Speaking of which, one of Walt Disney’s passion projects was Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and still exists to this day at Disneyland. The Hall of Presidents built upon the show’s legacy–expanding it to all presidents–when it opened in 1971 at Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney had no direct involvement in its creation, but his fingerprints and legacy are all over it. In 1956, Walt Disney announced plans for a Liberty Street at Disneyland to be located behind the east side of Main Street.
Included in this unbuilt expansion would’ve been a hall of presidents (lowercase), featuring the presidential figures as mere mannequins. A lot has changed since Walt Disney’s original idea for a hall of presidential mannequins. The actual Hall of Presidents attraction has evolved considerably in its 50+ years.
The Hall of Presidents adopted its current structure in 1993 when President Clinton was added. He became the first sitting president with a speaking role in Hall of Presidents. With the benefit of hindsight, I think just about everyone would agree that this was a colossal mistake. Then again, maybe not. This isn’t Grimace, so consensus is unlikely.
My family visited Walt Disney World annually and my parents loved the “boring” attractions–it runs in the family; my mom was aghast when learning that Country Bear Jamboree was being reimagined–so we undoubtedly did Hall of Presidents during the Clinton years countless times. I don’t have clear memories of that, though.
I do clearly recall Hall of Presidents while Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama had speaking roles. Because, as fellow lovers of boring things, we continued to do Hall of Presidents regularly as adults. It was incredibly common during Bush’s second term and during the duration of Obama’s presidency for guests to have “uncontrolled outbursts.” Some people just cannot help themselves, and feel compelled to boo a robot. Fight the power, I suppose.
This only got worse during the Trump years, during which we regularly saw a security presence in the Hall of Presidents. Because of this, I was mildly surprised that Walt Disney World chose to stick with the current president having a speaking role when Biden was elected. Kudos to Disney for making that decision and not taking the path of least resistance. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was some internal debate over that one, and it likely was a tough choice.
We expected that Walt Disney World would take the opportunity to eliminate the speaking role of the current president, beginning with Biden. It would be unwise to make that change in the future for a history-making presidency or in a scenario that would give rise to even more controversy.
The removal of the sitting president’s speaking role is not what we want to see happen–we love Hall of Presidents, and how it offers a moving tribute to the presidency and how that office has shaped (and been shaped by) America since the nation’s founding. We’re also realists.
Reverting to the old format to focus on Lincoln and other historic presidents–while introducing the rest–would nevertheless be the simplest option. It also could decrease the likelihood that Hall of Presidents goes extinct, which seems like an eventual inevitability, otherwise. Making the Hall of Presidents less of lightning rod for controversy each time a new president is elected would be wise.
However, we do not expect this change to occur in 2025. If Kamala Harris is elected, she will be the first female president. Disney will recognize the bad optics of “silencing” the sitting president once that person is a woman. Conversely, if Donald Trump wins, there would likely be concerns that the company, which has had its share of controversies in the last few years, has an anti-conservative bias if it removes his lines.
Disney had to have foreseen the possibility of such an election back in 2021, and deliberately opted against taking the opportunity to eliminate the speaking role with Biden. (It might’ve been controversial with Disney fans, but it would not have been viewed as partisan.)
Another possibility is that Disney will go in a completely different direction, with an intellectual property infused overhaul to the Hall of Presidents. During the last election cycle, there were credible rumors that Imagineering might make Hall of Presidents less partisan and polarizing. Ambitious ideas were tossed around, including injecting the Muppets or making the attraction appealing to younger audiences.
Honestly, I like several of those rumored concepts–especially if given the false choice between one of those and the Hall of Presidents potentially closing. Liberty Square needs something more to feel like a fully-fledged land on par with its Magic Kingdom counterparts, especially as it prepares to lose the Riverboat and Rivers of America waterfront (more on that in a minute).
The solution to that problem lies outside the Hall of Presidents and in Liberty Square itself. Walt Disney World already did an exemplary job of edutainment in Liberty Square with the Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History (one of our favorite additions of the last decade).
This clever show did an exemplary job of incorporating actual lessons from American history with the trademark quick wit of the Muppets. Bringing that back or adding another atmospheric act outside Hall of Presidents would be great counterprogramming giving some life, levity, and edutainment to Liberty Square, while also potentially drawing more guests inside to see the full Hall of Presidents show. That’s the best option–not dumbing down a Magic Kingdom classic.
Speaking of the Muppets, rumors continue to swirl that these characters will once again have a home in Liberty Square. These rumors first gained momentum prior to the last election, died down for a while, and have resurfaced again following the 2024 D23 Expo.
A little context here is key. First, the Muppets are under the purview of Walt Disney Imagineering, and have been for the last few years. It stands to reason that Imagineering having ‘ownership’ of the Muppets increases the likelihood that they’ll be pitched for attractions in the parks.
Second, as we’ve mentioned repeatedly over the years–even before Imagineering took over the characters–there must be someone high up at Disney who’s championing the Muppets. I’m not suggesting that Bob Iger loves the Muppets–we’d know if he did–but someone powerful probably does. There’s no other explanation for why they’ve been given chance after chance despite middling results.
Finally, there’s still the possibility that MuppetVision 3D will not exist by 2026. Given this potential outcome and the above two factors, it seems possible–if not probable–that Disney would extend an “olive branch” to fans, and bundling the (potential) negative news of MuppetVision 3D closing with the (potential) positive announcement of a new Muppet attraction elsewhere.
For my part, I’ve heard absolutely nothing directly about a Muppets takeover of Liberty Square or Hall of Presidents. Everything I’ve heard is via the rumor mill, and I’ve been unable to assess their veracity. It seems like credible sources reporting on this, but it’s nevertheless difficult to discern what’s legitimate rumor and what’s wishful thinking based on years of persistent rumblings. I’m inclined to believe this is the latter, but then again, I thought the same about the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster prior to that being confirmed.
The only thing that I have heard directly is that Imagineering is “exploring” multiple competing concepts for Muppets attractions at Walt Disney World. Anything beyond that is speculation on my part. What my gut says is that this is an “if this, then that” as well as an “if that, then NOT those” scenario.
Which is to say that the closure of MuppetVision–if it does happen–would trigger the greenlighting of another Muppets attraction; the greenlighting of one of those attractions would close the door on the rest of the concepts. Walt Disney World is not ending up with multiple Muppets attractions.
My gut also says that the timeline probably doesn’t work out for Muppets Hall of Presidents. Wherever Monstropolis is going to go will probably be announced between now and March 2025. What, if anything, is going to announced to placate Muppets fans will almost certainly happen simultaneous to soften the blow.
While it’s possible that could be Muppets Hall of Presidents, I really feel like Disney would’ve announced the new concept of the attraction before the presidential election. In my view, it’s more likely that whatever the Muppets get is a 1:1 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (There’s one incredibly obvious candidate that we’ve discussed at length on this blog for the last few years.)
I’m a diehard Muppets fan. I’d love to see plans for the Great Muppet Movie Ride or any number of unbuilt Muppet projects finally come to fruition. Given that the “The Muppets Present…Great Moments in American History” is one of the few times Disney nailed the tone and humor of the characters, Muppets Hall of Presidents would work.
But I doubt it’s going to happen. Again, I have absolutely no insider info. It just does not seem like 2025 is the year that the current concept for Hall of Presidents is retired. Perhaps there was a time when this was the plan, but Joe Biden really blindsided everyone and threw a monkey wrench into Disney’s decision when he abruptly exited the race. At this point, Hall of Presidents is likely safe until 2029.
Waiting until then also gives Disney time to make the announcement in early 2028 ahead of a (hopefully!) less polarizing or consequential election. It avoids the inevitable general public controversy that would accompany a reimagining announced after one of the candidates wins–controversies that will accompany every single election for the foreseeable future if Disney delays the announcement until after Election Day.
Postponing such a redo also gives Disney time to solve its Liberty Square dilemma. A bit beyond the scope of this post, but I suspect Disney is treading lightly with how it approaches this land, fearful of accusations that the company has become ‘distinctly unpatriotic’ given the removal of the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Libety Square Riverboat. Of course, there’s a different commonality among these things, but again, optics should also matter to Disney.
There are also other concepts for Hall of Presidents. The one of these that would be best-received among WDW diehards is the “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” stage show that’s debuting in 2025 for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary. If that’s well received (and why wouldn’t it be?) in California, it being brought to Magic Kingdom to run in tandem with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln would please a lot of fans.
The Muppets hosting Hall of Presidents would likely be well-received, too. Unlike the previous Lin Manuel Miranda and Weird Al Yankovic Hall of Presidents overhaul rumor, there shouldn’t be partisan concerns about the Muppets in Hall of Presidents, or Walt Disney’s life story (plus Lincoln, perhaps?) replacing HoP.
Among serious people, adding puppets to a robot show is unlikely to draw complaints about Disney “rewriting history.” Moreover, the Muppets are distinctly patriotic, and their show in Liberty Square was a great reflection of that. (So much so that a couple of lines were actually ‘toned down’ after complaints from British guests!)
Ultimately, the Hall of Presidents should unify Americans around our nation’s founding, the formation of our Constitution, and our hard-fought struggles along the way. The attraction is about the office of the presidency, and not the current occupant of that office. It showcases how the United States has risen to solve common challenges and collective problems through the lens of the presidency. Anyone paying attention would know it’s not about individuals, and it should be an antidote to political tensions.
What it should be and what it is are, sadly, two different things. It’s understandable that many people want escapism out of Walt Disney World, and Hall of Presidents is a non-starter for them irrespective of their political persuasions. Beyond that, there has been a chorus of (apolitical) complaints for decades that Hall of Presidents is overly long, boring, and dry.
My take, as always, is that not everything needs to be for everyone. Trying to cater to every guest with every attraction is a fool’s errand that makes everything bland. There are plenty of rides and shows we almost never do because they’re not for us. It’s perfectly fine that Hall of Presidents is not for everyone. So long as it keeps the air-conditioning, it’s going to appeal to many Walt Disney World visitors.
However, it’s also clear that in this hyper-partisan era, many people simply cannot separate the office from its current occupant. This is nothing new–it has been true for each the last five presidents–and is unlikely to change. How we feel about Hall of Presidents or think guests should view the attraction is academic. It’s good for online discourse, but meaningless in the real world and has zero impact on attraction preferences or how guests actually behave. If the attractions I thought guests should enjoy are the ones they actually did, well, the original EPCOT Center would still be intact!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Intrigued by the possibility of the Muppets Hall of Presidents? Would you welcome a reimagining that injects humor and characters, or do you prefer the classic Hall of Presidents? Think it’ll actually happen, or is the timing not right? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts and commentary? Keep the comments civil and non-partisan; avoid insults or endorsements of political candidates, or perpetuating pointless culture wars. Respectfully arguing about the attraction is totally fine, but don’t debate politics, attack people or troll for controversy. We will be heavy-handed in deleting any comments that cross the line, irrespective of viewpoint.